Ford's gas-sucking F-150 Raptor gets special edition

Apr. 9, 2013
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Ford's go-anywhere Raptor gets a dress-up treatment / Ford

by Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

by Chris Woodyard, USA TODAY

As if Ford's super off-road performance pickup, the F-150 SVT Raptor, wasn't dressed up enough, along comes a "special edition" package that will further pad the price.

The new 2014 F-150 SVT Raptor Special Edition adds a ruby-red or "tuxedo black" metallic paint job and fancy outside graphics. Inside, there are brick-red seat bolsters with black inserts, a new panel on top of the dashboard and other door panel and console applique accents.

Ford isn't disclosing pricing on the special edition, but it's sure to boost the price past $50,000. The base vehicle starts at $43,920, plus $995 destination charge. This new special edition comes on top of the luxury package, which adds on a load of fancy stuff like rear-review camera, upgraded stereo system and alike. That version sells for $49,675, including destination.

Raptor, a four-wheel drive with a 6.2-liter V-8 engine, gets 11 miles a gallon in the city, 16 mpg on the highway for an average of 13 mpg, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Ford's Doug Scott, the truck group marketing manager, tells USA TODAY that dealers have only a 15-day supply of Raptors, far below the industry's average inventory levels. In other words, they are popular enough that dealers can't keep them in stock for long, so it only make sense to add fancier, pricier version that will harvest more profit for Ford.